Portland second baseman Bernie Castro, who was named to theAll-Pacific Coast League team, is a player Padres manager BruceBochy would have liked to have seen this month, but a knee injuryin mid-August knocked him out for the season.

In 105 games, Castro hit .309, had 38 multihit games and stole49 bases.In 455 minor-league games, he has 299 steals.

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Catcher Humberto Quintero -- who was called up to the bigleagues -- outfielder Jon Knott and closer Rusty Tucker of Mobilewere named to the Southern League All-Star team.

Quintero hit .298 with three homers and 52 RBIs in 110games.“Wait till you see him throw,” Towers said. “He’ll knock yoursocks off.”

“He’s a guy we’d like to protect on the 40-man roster, but withthe surgery, we have a tough decision ahead,” Towers said

Lake Elsinore second baseman Josh Barfield was named MVP of theCalifornia League. He finished the season with a .337 average, 46doubles, six triples, 16 homers and 128 RBIs. And he stole 16 of 20bases.

“He put up great numbers and did it with a bad wrist,” Towerssaid. “He has a chance to be something special.”Shortstop J.J. Furmaniak, who was promoted to Mobile shortlyafter the all-star break, was also named to the all-star team. Hehit .314 with nine homers and 54 RBIs in 78 games.

Jones hit .307 with four homers, 13 doubles and 20 steals in 81games before being promoted to Lake Elsinore.

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Ribas was 13-3 with a 2.50 ERA before being promoted to LakeElsinore. He had 116 strikeouts in 116 innings and walked just26.

Thayer had 25 saves with a 2.06 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 48innings.

At Eugene, center fielder Brian Wahlbrink, left-hander SeanThompson and right-hander Eddie Bonine were named to the 13-playerAll-Northwest League team.

Wahlbrink, a 42nd-round pick out of UC Riverside in 2002, hit.301 with 33 RBIs and 19 stolen bases.Thompson, a fifth-round pick in 2002, was 6-1 with a 2.52 ERA in14 starts over 75 innings with 89 strikeouts. Batters hit just .203against him this season.

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Bonine, a 23rd-round pick in June, had 12 saves with 28strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings.

Third baseman Billy Hogan of Idaho Falls was named thedesignated hitter on the Pioneer League all-star team. In 45 games,this year’s fifth-round draft pick hit .344 with three homers and33 RBIs.

“We have some athletes in the system now,” Towers said. “This isas athletic as we’ve been in a long, long time, and the timing isperfect with the new ballpark opening next season.“I think you’ll see a lot of these guys in Padres uniformsbefore too long.”

Playoff fever

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Portland entered the final weekend of the Pacific Coast Leagueseason three games behind Edmonton with four to play, but theBeavers fell apart and finished five games behind the Trappers.After a 19-9 start, Portland finished the season 69-75.

Mobile (61-77) faded badly down the stretch and finished 8 1/2games behind Birmingham in the race for a spot in the SouthernLeague playoffs.

Lake Elsinore (75-65) reached the California League playoffs,but the Storm lost 7-6 in 10 innings and 9-7 to Inland Empire to beeliminated in the wild-card series.

Fort Wayne (71-66) was eliminated from the Midwest Leagueplayoffs, losing two straight to Battle Creek in the firstround.

Eugene (39-37) reached the final Saturday of the season beforelosing to Salem-Keizer and being eliminated from the NorthwestLeague playoffs.

Idaho Falls concluded a dreadful Pioneer League season with a23-52 record.

Two who didn’t make it

The Padres sent a message to catcher Wiki Gonzalez and shortstopDonaldo Mendez when they weren’t recalled from Portland whenrosters expanded Sept. 1.

Gonzalez, who missed six weeks with a calf injury at Portland,ended the minor-league season on fire. He had a seven-game hittingstreak, including a 13-for-27 stretch, and finished with a .282average, four homers and 20 RBIs in 44 games. But he was leftbehind, and Mobile catcher Quintero was called up.

Mendez’s miserable start earned him a trip back to Portland, andhe finished the season hitting .226.

Six Padres prospects -- left-hander Cliff Bartosh, right-handerBen Howard, infielders Khalil Greene, Jake Gautreau and RicoWashington and outfielder Jon Knott -- are headed to the ArizonaFall League. The Padres still have one open spot and may rethinkHoward’s participation. Greene could play this winter for Team USAas it attempts to qualify for the 2004 Olympics.

Cardinals prospect Shaun Boyd (Vista) will play for the GrandCanyon Rafters in the Arizona Fall League

Outfielder Cory Patton, the Padres’ sixth-round draft pick inJune, turned down a $100,000 offer and has returned to TexasA&M for his senior season.